Defined Fitness Tip For Results #9: New Year, New You - 2011 Metabolism Makeover

It’s that time of the year again when millions of Americans make their New Year’s Resolutions and flock to their local gym with the hopes of making this the year they achieve their goal of getting the body they desire. Unfortunately for the majority of these people they will put in hours of work for a month, maybe two, and then give up after not seeing the results they had hoped for.

However, this does not have to happen to you!

What if their was a way to see results and only have to dedicate 3-4 hours per week to exercise and never have to step onto a treadmill?

Incorporate the following tips and give your body a Metabolism Makeover for 2011.

1. Multi-Joint Exercises. Leg extensions and bicep curls my help a bodybuilder define their muscles, but single joint exercises and machines will do little to help get you the body you desire. Instead, focus on exercises like the squat, deadlift, and overhead press that use multiple muscle groups and are performed standing.

2. Turn off the treadmill and kick up your cardio with Kettle Bell Tabata Intervals. A 2008 research study has shown that people who did 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week for 15 weeks gained fat. The reason this happens is because your body is always trying to store energy (fat). So as a result your body becomes more efficient by adapting to the exercise and burning less calories with each session. Aerobic exercise is very easy to adapt to. However, interval training is much harder for your body to adapt to. A 1994 study showed that participants in a interval training program burned nine times more fat in less time than the participants in the aerobic training group. Another study has also shown that by using a 4-minute interval of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest (Tabata Protocol) 3 times per week resulted in the same cardiovascular benefits as doing aerobic exercise for 60 minutes three times per week. When it’s time for your next cardio workout try the following Kettle Bell Tabata Interval Instead.

- Kettle Bell Swings

- Burpees

- Kettle Bell Front Squat

- Push Ups

*Perform each for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest after each exercise, repeat 2 times.

3. Incorporate total body hybrid exercises. Hybrid exercises save time and burn more calories giving your metabolism a boost. So what is a hybrid exercise? A hybrid exercise is combining two or more exercises together using the same weight. Try the following: barbell rows, barbell RDL, barbell front squat, barbell OH Press. Perform 5-8 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next, after completing all exercises rest 2 minutes and repeat for 2-3 sets.

4. Eat Breakfast. If you haven’t been eating breakfast one of the fast ways to boost your metabolism and weight loss is to starting eating breakfast. By skipping breakfast you put your body in a state that promotes fat gain.

5. Eat every 3 hours. There is an old saying “Eat like a horse, not like a bear.” Horses graze all day and have a lean muscular body, while bears binge on fish and then go sleep for 3 months. The bear while muscular isn’t particularly lean. Eating every 3 hours will keep your metabolism running high and prevent your body from dropping into fat storage mode.

6. Opt for low carb, not low fat. Numerous research studies have shown that a low carb diet will result in greater fat loss than a low fat diet. However, you still need to watch where your fats come from. You want to get your fats from lean meats, fish, nuts, and olive oils, rather than from fried greasy and processed foods.

Josh

2011 Weight Loss Challenge - "Get In The Game"- Are you ready to start the new year off by losing a few pounds? What if you could lose weight and win $1000? Well, that's exactly what we are doing. We have teamed up Grieb Chiropratic Clinic and are challenging the community to lose weight. The challenge starts January 10th and will run for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks the participant who has lost the highest percentage of weight will win $1000!! All you have to do is register at either Defined Fitness or Grieb Chiropratic Clinic and pay the $100 entrance fee! The entrance fee will get you entered into the challenge, give you a 14-day pass to Defined Fitness with personal training included, and a spinal analysis by Dr. Eric Grieb.

* $1000 subject to change based on number of entries.

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #8: 12 Days of Fitness Challenge

Over the next 12 days will be having our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge. Each day there is a different challenge designed to help keep you on track and motivated as the holiday season approaches. Let us know how your doing and have fun!

Starts 12/12/10
Ends 12/23/10

Day 1 = Take a 3 mile walk
Day 2 = Eat 2 new healthy foods
Day 3 = Do 1 extra round on your finisher
Day 4 = Do 15 push ups at the end of your workout
Day 5 = Take a Metabolic Fat Loss Class
Day 6 = Come in for a FREE Protein Shake on us!
Day 7 = Push Up/Squat Circuit (10 minutes, 10 reps)
Day 8 = Take 30 minutes to relax
Day 9 = Do the Squat Matrix as your finisher 3x
Day 10 = Do 50 KB Swings at the end of your workout.
Day 11 = Take Stretch Fit Class
Day 12 = Enjoy a Gingerbread Cookie after your workout!

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #7: Is a Lack of Sleep Making You Fat?

Is it possible that a lack of sleep could be negatively affecting your weight loss goals? Or even making you fat? According recent research this seems to be exactly the case.

At the University of Chicago’s General Clinical Resource Center researchers followed 10 overweight, but healthy participants aged 35 to 49 who according to body mass index were considered overweight. The participants where given an individualized, balanced diet that reduced their calories by 10% of what was needed to maintain their weight without exercise (roughly 1,450 calories per day).

Each participant was studied twice: the first time studied participants sleep on average 7.5 hours over a fourteen day period, the second time for only 5.5 hours over a fourteen day period.

The researchers found that when sleeping less it reduced the participants fat loss by 55%. When participants got adequate sleep they also found that their ghrelin levels were lower. High ghrelin levels reduce energy expenditure, increase hunger and promote fat retention.

In conjunction with Stanford University the University of Chicago took this a step farther by then looking at the leptin (leptin sends a signal to your brain telling it you are full) and ghrelin levels in 12 healthy men after being subjected to two days of adequate sleep and two days of sleep deprivation. They found that when sleep was restricted leptin levels went down and ghrelin levels went up. Thus, resulting in increased appetites and an inability to get full. They also found that the participants had an increased craving for high carbohydrate, calorie dense food.

Standard and the University of Wisconsin then took this even a step farther. They had 1,000 volunteers report the number of hours they slept each night. Then measured their leptin and ghrelin levels and charted their weight. Not surprisingly they found that those who slept less had lower leptin levels, higher ghrelin levels, weighted more, and had a higher level of body fat.

If you’ve been dieting and exercising, but having trouble losing weight or not happy with your progress check you sleep. We each need between 7-8 hours a night. Even if you sleep less and don’t think you need it you probably do, so many of us are used to functioning with a lack of sleep that we no longer remember what it feels like to be fully rested and recharged. Sometimes we just don’t know how bad we felt until we feel good again.

Josh

visit us online at www.definedfitnesswexford.com

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Give the Gift of Fitness with a Defined Fitness Gift Box only $89 each gift wrapped box contains a gift certificate for a 30-Day membership (fitness program design, 8 coaching sessions, unlimited access to group fitness class, and unlimited facility use) and a Defined Fitness T-Shirt. Pick yours up today at the club!

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12 Days of Fitness - starting this Sunday December 12th we will be kicking off our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge. Each day their is a fitness goal your are to achieve to help keep the weight of leading up to the holidays and best of all it's free. Pick up your sheet at the front desk the next time your in the club.

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #6: Holiday Gain Survival

The holiday season is upon us once again, or as some have come to call it “The Official Eating Season”, this time of year is full of enjoyment, family get togethers, Christmas parties, and holiday shopping. All of which revolve around eating causing the average American to gain 10-15 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years.

However, you don’t have to be average!

The following tips will help keep your waistline slim and trim.

1. Schedule Time To Workout. Time is an issue more than ever during the holidays so you need to make sure it put into to your schedule. Even if you have to cut your workout time back to 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week is still enough to prevent adding extra pounds.

2. Go Easy On The Booze. With 2 or 3 Christmas parties a week it is very easy to pack on a few additional pounds in a month. In order to prevent this, drink one glass of water for each alcoholic drink you have. Also, order your drinks on the rocks or with diet soda, by not having the extra sugar you will cut your calories in half. And drink one glass of water for each drink this will keep your body well hydrated and prevent you from drinking as much.

3. Load up on veggies. By picking from the veggie tray rather than the tray of chicken wings and other fried foods you will save yourself hundreds in calories of fat and grease. Also, make sure you’re not hanging out around the food table this will only cause you to eat more.

4. Eat Smart. There’s nothing like Thanksgiving dinner, except maybe Christmas dinner. While we all love turkey, gravy, pumpkin pie, and mom’s sweet potato pie, we don’t need to eat it like we are never going to see food again. Having a little of everything is ok, but don’t stuff yourself so full that you end up feeling like one of the balloons in a Macy’s parade.

5. Get Your Sleep. It very easy this time of year to fall behind on your shut eye. Recent research has shown that people who sleep less weigh more due to a hormonal imbalance that causes your appetite to increase and crave starchy foods that will increase your waistline.

Josh

www.DefinedFitnessWexford.com

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30 Day Trial For Only $89. Did you know that the average American gains 15 pounds between Halloween and New Year's? Instead of being average, be the exception. No wait until January 1st to start you weight loss porgram get started today with a 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 and you could actually lose 5-10 pounds between now and New Year's! Call 724-934-2000 for more information

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #5

Does Supervised Exercise Yield Better Results?

Two interesting studies.

Supervised exercise versus non-supervised exercise for reducing weight in obese adults. Nicolai SP et al Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009 Mar;49(1):85-90.

This study looked at the effects of training with supervision/instruction (i.e. a qualified trainer) versus “advice”.

Group One met with a trainer 2x per week for 4 months in a group setting. Group Two received basic advice to increase physical activity and access to a fully equipped gym – all exercise they did was unsupervised.

Group One (supervised group) lost on average 362% more fat over the 4-month period than Group Two (nonsupervised) or 13.4 pounds of fat compared to only 3.7 pounds.

What’s even more interesting is that they made these improvements without ANY dietary advice.

The second study looked at how hard participants would workout with someone just watching them, not giving them any instruction or encouragement. They found they in the presence of someone watching participants would work roughly 30% harder. You can see how that extra effort would lead to greater results. Now imagine adding that to a well designed program, great coaching and social support, great instruction, and a good nutrition program. Pretty great results huh?

Neither of these studies are new, but still very interesting.

Josh

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

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30 Day Trial For Only $89. Did you know that the average American gains 15 pounds between Halloween and New Year's? Instead of being average, be the exception. No wait until January 1st to start you weight loss porgram get started today with a 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 and you could actually lose 5-10 pounds between now and New Year's! Call 724-934-2000 for more information.

Is Your Pant Size Lying To You?

Here is an interesting article we came across. Goes well with our Thermometer Jean Challenge.

Click the link:www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/pants-size-chart-090710

Josh

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #4

This is the final part of our three part series, The Truth About Fat Loss.

Fitness Myth #3:

High Reps, Light Weight

This is the final part of our three part series, The Truth About Fat Loss.

For years it has been believed that to develop toned, long, lean muscles you must lift light weights for many reps, in order not to bulk up. Interestingly, this is the exact same approach that bodybuilders use to gain size in their muscles.

It can’t be the right approach for both; after all they are exact opposite goals. And we’ve all seen the excessively large bodies of bodybuilders.

So if high reps and light weight work to increase the size of your muscles, then logically the opposite must work to develop long, lean muscles. Right?

Exactly.

Using a rep range of below 15 reps with a heavier weight will get you the body that you are looking for.

According to a study published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when lifting 85% of their maximum load than when they did 15 reps at a lower weight around 45% of their max.

This happens as a result of more muscle activation required to lift a heavier weight than a lighter weight. As more calorie burning muscle is activated you will add muscle tissue to your body. For instance, if you replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle you’ll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories per day. Even better you will look like you have lost 20 pounds, even though the number on the scale is the same!

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

30 Day Trial For Only $89. Did you know that the average American gains 15 pounds between Halloween and New Year's? Instead of being average, be the exception. No wait until January 1st to start you weight loss porgram get started today with a 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89 and you could actually lose 5-10 pounds between now and New Year's! Call 724-934-2000 for more information.

Thermometer Jeans Kickoff

Only one day left until the Kickoff of our Thermometer Jeans Challenge. Their are still a couple spots open so you still have time to get registered.

It's $129 for nonmembers and $50 for members. This will give you 6 weeks of access to the facility, a fitness program, unlimited group fitness classes, and one session with a fitness coach each week, along with a nutrition plan. All designed to help you drop 1-2 pants sizes!

We will kick it off tomorrow night November 4th at 6 p.m. with "The Truth About Fat Loss" a presentation to help dispel many of the common myths and misconceptions about fat loss.

See you there!

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Also, there will not be a 6:15 p.m. Group Class this Thursday due to the presentation be held.

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #3

Fitness Myth #2: Aerobics for Fat Loss

This is the second in a three part series...

You know that you need to exercise to lose weight. So just start walking and then eventually jogging and pretty soon those pounds will just be melting off your body. Right?

Sorry, you can walk and jog all you want, but you will never get the lean toned body that you desire. And sorry aerobics queens, but the time has come to put away your spandex unitards and leg warmers. Aerobics and aerobic type activity (aka: steady-state cardio) didn’t work then and doesn’t work now!

According to a 2006 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers found that men and women who ran the same weekly mileage, regardless of distance, actually gained weight.

In that same journal another study found that the addition of 4 hours of aerobic exercise had no effect on weight loss.

In a 1994 study, done by Tremblay et al, they looked at two groups. Group #1 performed 20 weeks of steady-state cardio, Group #2 performed interval based training for 15 weeks. In 20 weeks Group #1 burned 28,661 calories over twice the number of calories as Group #2, which only burned 13,614 calories. However, Group #2 lost 9 times more body fat in 5 less weeks than Group #1 when corrected for energy cost.

One last study.

In 1999 researchers found that resistance training increased fat loss by 35% over diet and aerobic training. They also found that 3 aerobic sessions of 50 minutes per week for 12 weeks only resulted in one pound more of fat lost than dieting alone.

How can that be that be?

The reason we see this is because the metabolic effect, amount of time your body continues to burn calories after exercise, of aerobic training lasts only 30 minutes to an hour. But, the metabolic effect of resistance training will last up to 48 hours. That’s two days after you last worked out and your body is still burning calories from your workout.

With aerobics you may have burned a lot of calories during your workout, but you do not burn many afterwards. With resistance training you not only burn calories during your workout, but you also continue burning them for the next 48 hours!

Josh

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Thermometer Jeans Challenge - drop 1-2 pant sizes in 6 weeks!! Call 724-934-2000 today to register! Limited to the first 20 people. $129 to join, only $50 for members. Includes: Fitness program design, 6 fitness coaching sessions (1 each week), unlimited access to all group fitness coaching classes, unlimited access to the facility, and a nutrition program all designed to get you into your jeans.

Defined Fitness Tip For Results #2

Fitness Myth #1: Eat Less!

This is the first of a three part series:

If you want to lose weight you need to eat less right?

Not exactly,

According to a 1996 research study if you eat more frequently throughout the day you will lose more body fat. The researchers compared 2 groups, Group #1 ate two meals per day and Group #2 ate 6 meals per day. At the end of the study they found that Group #2 who ate the same number of calories lost more body fat than Group #1 who only ate two meals per day.

The reason this happened is because the more frequently you eat (e.g. every 3 hours) the higher your metabolism runs and you keep your body out of its primitive starvation mode where it tends to store everything you eat.

If you are really serious about losing fat you need to eat 5-6 meals per day, roughly one meal every 3 hours. You may also need to actually eat more. You see when you eat less calories than your body needs each day, known as your resting metabolic rate, all of your bodies systems slow down due to lack of sufficient energy. Many people assume that if they eat less there body will use its fat stores for energy, but this is not necessarily true. In fact, what actually happens is your body ends up using its lean muscle tissue for energy, thus further decreasing your metabolism.

This is why extreme caloric deficit diets always fail. You set your daily needs low, your metabolism slows even more and as a result your total daily caloric needs will become even lower creating a caloric surplus. If you decrease your calories more this cycle will just continue repeating itself until you are eventually eating zero calories a day and still getting fatter!

A better approach is to stimulate your metabolism through a weight-training program, which will build muscle to further promote fat loss, and eat sufficient calories to keep your metabolism running high.

Josh

www.DefinedFitnessWexford.com

Thermometer Jeans Challenge: Are your jeans fitting tight? You could lose 2 sizes in the next 6 weeks! Compete in our 6-Week Thermometer Jeans Challenge starting Novemeber 4th and will kickoff with "THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS" presentation at 6 p.m. on the 4th. Call 724-934-2000 today for more info!

Calorie Burning Exercise

Kettlebells Snatch Intervals burn 20.2 calories per minute and since it is resistance training and interval based you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate long after you've completed the workout, unlike with running or aerobics where you only burn calories during the time spent exercising. And even those types of exercise can't burn 20.2 calories per minute.

Check out the video on how to do this:

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Can you fit into your jeans? Drop up to 2 sizes in 6 weeks with our THERMOMETER JEANS CHALLENGE, starting November 4th. It's only $129 for nonmembers and $50 for members to register, limited to the first 20 people. Call 724-934-2000 today to reserve your spot!

Thermometer Jeans Challenge

Can You Fit Into Your Jeans? You could lose over 2 pants sizes in the next 6 weeks!

Compete in Our 6-Week Thermometer Jeans Challenge!

Here is how it works:
- Bring in a pair from your closet or buy a pair you would like to fit into; jeans must be at least 2 sizes too small.
- We'll take a picture of you trying to get them on; over a pair of spandex shorts or pants.
- We will keep your jeans at Defined Fitness; and you can try them on throughout the challenge.
- You will have 6 weeks to get into them...

...at the end of the challenge you're a winner if you can say: "I can fit into my jeans!"

PLUS...when your jeans fit you will receive a $50 gift card for Macy's.

The Thermometer Jeans Challenge will start Thursday November 4th and Kickoff with a presentation "The Truth About Fat Loss" at 6 P.M. (Free for all to attend)

$129 gets you in and includes: (members get in for $50)
- unlimited group coaching sessions, choose morning or evenings.
- 1 session each week with your own fitness coach
- a fitness program design specifically to get you into your jeans
- nutrition journal
- 15 min. accountability meeting each Monday

Hurry space is limited to 20 people! Call today to reserve your spot 724-934-2000

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Don't Feed The Animals

The other day I was taking some pictures off of my camera and came across one that I had taken about a year ago when I was out in Yosemite National Park.

It was a picture of a sign that was posted on each table at the food court, which was outside.

The sign read:

"Keep Wildlife Wild - don't feed the animals. Feeding the animals causes them to gain weight, lose hair, and live shorter lives."

Interesting! Here were all these people eating the same food that they are recommending we not feed to the animals, because it is unhealthy for the animals. But, at the same time the people eating the food are overweight, losing their hair, and possibly shortening their lives.

Josh

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

The 4th Quarter

We have now entered what retailers and businesses call Q4. The fourth quarter of the year.

2010 has flown by – for me at least.

But here we are – in October already. Only 3 months until 2011 and you’re setting the same old New Year’s Resolutions…again.

But before you get too depressed and think that thee year is over – let me point out that 3 months is a long time – you can get a lot done in 3 months. And there’s no rule that states you can only set goals on Dec 31st. You can start progress towards a goal anytime….

Is your goal to lose fat? You could EASILY lose 2 or 3lbs per week by starting now, tightening up your training and diet and focusing your efforts. You’ve got 13 weeks until New Years Eve. That would mean somewhere between 25-40lbs gone.

There’s 13 weeks left in the year. Imagine starting 2010 having lost 20-40lbs more fat. Get started on a solid, effective, fast-acting fat loss program today.

Muscle gain? By Jan 1 you’ll could have possibly made 8-10lbs of solid gains in muscle.

If you’re on track with your 2010 goals- don’t lose momentum.
If you’re behind schedule – step it up.

And if you haven’t even started – it’s NOT too late. Make your 2010 Quarter Four Resolutions now and get a jump start on 2010.

Don’t let the next three months slide by without doing something! Get started today with our 30-Day Trial membership for only $89. Your 30-Day Trial Membership includes: a complete fitness evaluation, movement screening, custom fitness program design, 8 fitness coaching sessions, unlimited group fitness "Metabolic Express" classes, and unlimited access to the facility for a full 30 days. Call 724-934-2000 to get started!

WWW.DEFINEDFITNESSWEXFORD.COM

Virtual Tour

Here is a quick tour of our facility the night of our Grand Opening 9/9/10.

Click the link to view!

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

3 Exercises For Flat Abs

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

Get started today with our 30-Day Trial Membership for only $89. Your trial membership includes: Complete evaluation, fitness program design, 8 sessions with a fitness coach, unlimited access to our "Metabolic Express" classes, unlimited access to the facility. Call today 724-934-2000

Run to Lose Weight?

So as you were getting dressed to go out this weekend you went to put on a pair of jeans that you hadn’t worn in awhile only to find out that they didn’t fit like they used to. “I guess its time to start exercising,” you say to yourself with a sigh and decide that on Monday you will start running. But, what if running actually made you fatter?

According to a 2006 research studies findings (published in the Int. J. Obes.) found that men and women who ran the same weekly mileage, regardless of amount, actually gained weight each year.

Probably not the outcome you are hoping for? But, that is just one study!

Ok, fair enough.

Another study from the same journal found that the addition of 4 hours of aerobic training per week had no effect on weight loss.

Still skeptical?

The researchers of a 1999 study found that 3 aerobic sessions per week of 50 minutes only resulted in 1 pound more of fat lost than dieting alone. That’s a lot of work for only 1 pound.

So how do you lose fat?

The researchers of the above 1999 study found that resistance training resulted in 35% more fat loss than dieting and aerobic training.

In 1994 researchers Tremblay et al. found that a 15 week interval training program resulted in 9x more fat loss than a 20 week aerobic training program, despite the fact that the aerobic group burned twice the number of calories as the interval group.

As it turns out there is a hierarchy of fat loss. At the top is resistance training and interval training and all the way at the bottom in aerobic training. So if your goal is to lose fat and trim and tone your body, focus on resistance training and intervals training.

Josh

www.definedfitnesswexford.com

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Call 724-934-2000 today to get started on a 30-Day Trial membership for only $89. This will give you access to 8 fitness coaching sessions, the facility, and our Metabolic Express Workout Classes

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